Blog

Discover Counseling Blog

Insights, guidance, and support from the Discover Counseling team — on relationships, mental health, and everyday life.

Why AI Shouldn’t Be Your Therapist
Blog May 14, 2026

Why AI Shouldn’t Be Your Therapist

AI can be a helpful tool, but it is not a replacement for real therapy . For people in Tigard, Oregon , and across the state, the deeper work of healing still depends on human connection, emotional…

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Navigating Anxiety in a Fast-Paced World
Blog July 10, 2025

Navigating Anxiety in a Fast-Paced World

In today’s constantly moving world, anxiety has become a common experience for many individuals. The pressures of work, family, social obligations, and the endless stream of news and notifications…

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Coping With The Fear of The Unknown
Blog November 18, 2024

Coping With The Fear of The Unknown

Life is full of uncertainty, and for many, the “unknown” can trigger a deep, unsettling fear. Anxiety often swells when we face what we can’t control, or don’t know, leaving us in an exhausting loop…

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Ending a Toxic Relationship
Blog November 6, 2024

Ending a Toxic Relationship

Ending a toxic relationship is one of the most challenging emotional journeys one can undertake. Even when it’s clear that the relationship is harmful, the process of leaving can feel overwhelming…

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Are You Co-Dependent on Your Social Media?
Blog September 18, 2024

Are You Co-Dependent on Your Social Media?

In the digital age, where social media is a pervasive part of daily life, the line between healthy interaction and unhealthy dependence can blur. The platforms designed to connect us, share our…

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The Healing Benefits of Nature Therapy
Blog August 7, 2024

The Healing Benefits of Nature Therapy

In recent years, the therapeutic benefits of nature have gained substantial attention within the mental health community. Nature therapy, also known as ecotherapy or green therapy , involves engaging…

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What is Trauma and Trauma Therapy?
Blog June 6, 2024

What is Trauma and Trauma Therapy?

Trauma therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy designed to help individuals overcome the profound and often debilitating effects of traumatic experiences. Trauma can stem from various sources,…

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Is It Time for Relationship Therapy?
Blog January 21, 2024

Is It Time for Relationship Therapy?

In the vast ocean of human emotions, relationships are like ships, sailing through calm seas and turbulent storms alike. Sometimes, however, even the sturdiest vessels need a skilled navigator to…

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10 Surprising Facts About Perfectionism
Blog October 19, 2023

10 Surprising Facts About Perfectionism

Perfectionism is a term often thrown around casually, but its true nature and impact on individuals can be surprising and complex. While striving for excellence is admirable, it can sometimes lead to…

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It's Good to Hurt
Blog September 18, 2023

It's Good to Hurt

Life is a journey filled with a myriad of emotions , experiences, and relationships that shape our understanding of the world around us and the people within it. Among the most intricate facets of…

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Recovering from a Co-Dependent Relationship
Blog August 22, 2023

Recovering from a Co-Dependent Relationship

Codependent relationships can be incredibly challenging and emotionally draining for those involved. In these dynamics, one or both partners excessively rely on each other for emotional support and…

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When Does Sadness Becomes Depression?
Blog August 14, 2023

When Does Sadness Becomes Depression?

At some point in our lives, we all experience sadness. It's a normal emotional response to challenging situations or losses. However, there is a crucial distinction between sadness and depression .…

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Harnessing the Power of Vitamin D
Blog June 13, 2023

Harnessing the Power of Vitamin D

Summer is arriving which means for most of us vitamin D will be in surplus! During hot Summer days, it can be tempting to stay in the cool air conditioning. Vitamin D, often referred to as the…

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Does Your Child Need Therapy?
Counseling May 21, 2023

Does Your Child Need Therapy?

Benefits of Child Therapy The benefits of therapy for children are numerous. Children who receive therapy are better equipped to handle stress, build healthy relationships, and develop coping skills.…

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Taking Back Control of Your Depression
Blog May 12, 2023

Taking Back Control of Your Depression

A Quick Review Depression is a mental health condition and is determined by a collection of symptoms that are present for an ongoing period of time. It can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or…

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Identifying Codependency
Blog April 22, 2023

Identifying Codependency

Defining Codependency Codependency is a term that has gained popularity in recent years, especially in the realm of mental health. It refers to a pattern of behavior where an individual is…

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The Truth About Anxiety
Blog April 11, 2023

The Truth About Anxiety

Anxiety is a common emotional state that everyone experiences from time to time. It is a natural response to stressful or dangerous situations, and it can help individuals stay alert and focused in…

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Growth V.S Fixed Mindset: Which Are You?
Blog March 22, 2023

Growth V.S Fixed Mindset: Which Are You?

What is a Growth Mindset?  A growth mindset is the belief that your abilities and character can be improved through effort, learning, and perseverance. People with a growth mindset believe that…

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Is Social Media Running Your Life?
Blog March 12, 2023

Is Social Media Running Your Life?

There is no doubt that social media is an integral part of our lives today. It has become a powerful tool for communication, expression, and connection. However, its use carries with it a variety of…

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So You Took a Personality Test, Now What?
Blog February 24, 2023

So You Took a Personality Test, Now What?

Take a quick google search and it’s not hard to find a personality test or information about them. Chances are you’re familiar with at least one like the Myers Briggs or Enneagram . Some assessments…

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What to Expect in Couples Therapy
Blog February 9, 2023

What to Expect in Couples Therapy

Who Qualifies for Couples Therapy? You might be thinking that couples therapy is for those who are on the brink of divorce or who are deeply hurting from a wound in their relationship . While this is…

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Myths of the Counseling Process
Blog January 23, 2023

Myths of the Counseling Process

From Fraiser, to What About Bob, to your neighbor’s experience we all have some reference of what therapy looks like, yet, they are usually very inaccurate. I recently did an informal survey from…

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How to Make the Most Your New Year Goals
Blog January 17, 2023

How to Make the Most Your New Year Goals

You hear it every January, “new year, new me”. It’s just as much a tradition as decorating the Christmas tree and getting tangled in the lights or Grandma Jane’s undesirable fruit cake sitting…

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How To Decide What You Need To Succeed
Blog September 26, 2022

How To Decide What You Need To Succeed

What do you need? Do you even know the answer to that question? Many of us don’t, not really. And it’s mostly because we haven’t taken the time to really understand how we best operate, how we feel…

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How To Set Healthy Boundaries
Blog September 12, 2022

How To Set Healthy Boundaries

Do you like hearing the word ‘No’? Many of us feel threatened by the word and all that it implies. We feel like something must be terribly wrong with us if someone tells us no, whether it's a request…

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How To Move Forward With Your Life
Blog August 21, 2022

How To Move Forward With Your Life

Have you ever seen the movie Runaway Bride with Julia Roberts? If not, you have homework! Here’s a quick synopsis: The main character is a woman who is seemingly doing great, but every time she gets…

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How To Get Over It, Someone, or Something
Blog August 4, 2022

How To Get Over It, Someone, or Something

If you are a human being, chances are you have had something end at some point in your life. Maybe it was a sports season, school, a job, or a relationship. In fact, we face endings all the time. Not…

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Understanding How To Nurture Your Life Goals
Blog July 27, 2022

Understanding How To Nurture Your Life Goals

Not everyone considers themselves a ‘green thumb’. Some of us really enjoy plants, but don’t feel confident in our efforts to grow them. But unlike a plant, goals are something ALL of us can nurture…

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It's All About Balance
Blog July 19, 2022

It's All About Balance

You've heard it before. You know the phrase, "It's all about balance". Maybe from your yoga teacher, professor, grandmother, friend, or social media influencer. It's commonly used, but widely…

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Pushing Self-Love Doesn't (Always) Work
Blog June 20, 2022

Pushing Self-Love Doesn't (Always) Work

Self love. If it were easy, we would have started doing it yesterday, right? And sometimes, we think we love ourselves, but haven’t actually sat with those words and ideas long enough to believe them…

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How To Relax This Summer
Blog May 24, 2022

How To Relax This Summer

Summer is here! Well...almost. Depending on where you live, what your life looks like, and what you feel like you are ready for, the ‘feeling’ of summer approaching may or may not be on your…

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It's Okay Not To Be Okay
Blog March 7, 2022

It's Okay Not To Be Okay

We hear it all the time. “It’ll be okay!" “Don’t worry, it’s okay!” “Are you okay?” And sometimes - it won’t, it’s not, and you’re not. That’s okay. Here’s why. To Be Okay... Being okay means one of…

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5 Tips For Making Time For Your Loved Ones
Blog February 14, 2022

5 Tips For Making Time For Your Loved Ones

We are so busy, right? It never seems like we have enough time to focus on our loved ones. People are always asking, “How are you?” and we say “BUSY!” like it’s a badge of honor.  But what if we…

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You're Okay.
Blog January 21, 2022

You're Okay.

Every day, in every way, we are inundated with information about how to improve our lives. Never being told "You're okay". How are you ever supposed to feel like you're okay? Do THIS to lose weight…

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The Antidote for Holiday Season Stress
Blog November 8, 2021

The Antidote for Holiday Season Stress

Did you know that the first Wednesday of November is National Stress Awareness Day? If you didn’t, consider yourself now aware! It’s just in time to get us thinking about stress, its negative effects…

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Knowing Yourself To Know Others
Counseling May 20, 2021

Knowing Yourself To Know Others

Sometimes it can be difficult to know or understand other people. You can do your best to listen to them or ask questions, but what about when this doesn’t seem to work? What do you do when it seems…

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Your Fears May Be Causing Your Problems
Counseling May 6, 2021

Your Fears May Be Causing Your Problems

This will probably sound familiar to you. There is something you don’t want to happen so you defend against it. Despite your best attempts, the thing you didn’t want ends up happening anyway. As a…

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After You Open Up In A Therapy Session
Counseling April 15, 2021

After You Open Up In A Therapy Session

If you’ve ever been in therapy and decided to really open up, what happens when you go home? Once you’ve “laid it all out there,” what is that like for you? This is an important question because many…

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Emotions and the Body
Blog March 22, 2021

Emotions and the Body

Many people don't realize that there is a strong connection between emotions and the physical body. When you feel a sensation in your body, you might be thinking it's something medical and need to…

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Helpful Tips For Starting A New Habit
Counseling February 11, 2021

Helpful Tips For Starting A New Habit

Let me start off by saying I am NOT a New Year’s Resolution advocate. Personally, I place a high value on growth and prefer to work on myself throughout the year as I see the need or as opportunities…

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Healthy Boundaries For The Holidays
Counseling November 22, 2020

Healthy Boundaries For The Holidays

Every year when the holidays return, I always brace myself for the myriad of reactions. Some people have fond experiences or memories while other people barely hang on until January. Wherever you’re…

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Meet Marlys Petersen
Announcements June 22, 2020

Meet Marlys Petersen

The newest addition to our clinician team is Marlys! She pronounces her name "MAR-liss". But, she is gracious enough to go by a few variations of that (which I may have learned from experience). You…

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Major Life Transitions
Counseling June 11, 2020

Major Life Transitions

Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash Life is always changing , even when we don't want it to. These changes require us to transition and adjust. However, sometimes when we experience a significant life…

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Returning to Life After Coronavirus
Blog May 16, 2020

Returning to Life After Coronavirus

It's been over a month since the impacts of this global pandemic and shelter in place began. Nearly two for many people with children. That's six to eight weeks of the same thing every day, like…

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Managing Perfectionism
Counseling April 24, 2020

Managing Perfectionism

So often we have in our minds that we should be other than we are. That we should be stronger, faster, smarter, richer, and more attractive. That we should be good at everything we do and try.…

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Counseling May 24, 2019

Apps To Help With Child Custody Sharing

Update 7/29/20 : Link below updated as original link required subscription to view. Information is more comprehensive at new link location, but impact of subject remains the same for this article. I…

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Welcome Bradley Sigafoose, LPC
Announcements March 13, 2019

Welcome Bradley Sigafoose, LPC

Brad Sigafoose, LPC I would like to introduce our new counselor, Bradley Sigafoose ! He is a licensed counselor (LPC) who is relocating to the Portland area from Wisconsin, and will be starting at…

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The Gift of Thankfulness
Blog January 5, 2018

The Gift of Thankfulness

The Gift of Thankfulness by Robin Fleming For many, the fall and winter seasons bring with them more awareness of what they have to be thankful for. Time spent with family and friends around the…

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Announcements December 8, 2017

Codependency Group starting February 2018

Discover Counseling and Life Encounter Counseling are teaming up to start a codependency group at our office starting in February 2018. Our desire is to help people who struggle with codependent…

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5 Myths About Forgiveness That Keep Us Bitter
Counseling August 31, 2017

5 Myths About Forgiveness That Keep Us Bitter

We’ve all been hurt before. It’s an inevitable part of living in a broken world with broken people. Maybe our spouse disappointed us, our friend rejected us, our boss underappreciates us, or our…

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Meet Robin Fleming, our new counseling intern
Counseling August 21, 2017

Meet Robin Fleming, our new counseling intern

Robin Fleming, Counseling Intern It's been a busy summer here at Discover Counseling! We just expanded and moved into a larger office suite, and now I would like to introduce you to the newest member…

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Oregon's 2017 Solar Eclipse Information
Blog August 19, 2017

Oregon's 2017 Solar Eclipse Information

The time is almost here for the much anticipated solar eclipse that will be traveling across the United States - and perfectly through Oregon so that many of us can see either a total or nearly full…

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I've been working hard on my new office
Blog August 4, 2017

I've been working hard on my new office

Whew! I've been coordinating the move for the last few weeks, and we finally were able to move out of the Beveland St. office last night and into the new Hilltop space. Here's a sneak…

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Announcements July 14, 2017

We are moving in August

August 2017 In August 2017, Discover Counseling will be leaving the Beveland St. office suite to expand, and move just up the street (0.3 miles) to the Hilltop Business Center. The new suite will…

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Administrative Professionals Day 2016
Blog April 27, 2016

Administrative Professionals Day 2016

Zondra Runberg, Administrative Assistant Today is national Administrative Professionals Day , so I want to take a few moments to give acknowledgement to my Administrative Assistant, Zondra Runberg.…

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Website Update 3.0 is Live!
Announcements November 20, 2015

Website Update 3.0 is Live!

  This is the third major revision I've done to my website since starting my business, and I think it's the best yet. This time I hired designer Jeff Bugbee of VisionMule to organize the…

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New Business Features
Blog April 5, 2013

New Business Features

I've been hard at work trying to make my practice more accessible and useful to my clients, and wanted to introduce some new features! These are offered at no charge to clients and will hopefully…

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Reconsider Your Affair
Blog January 22, 2013

Reconsider Your Affair

I don't normally do this, but after reading this NY Times article, I deemed it worthy to link to on its own. It's very well-written and offers insight from both perspectives - the one having an…

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Reminder About Your Deductible
Blog December 27, 2012

Reminder About Your Deductible

As the new year rolls around, it brings with it a fresh start at many things. One important one to pay attention to is your insurance deductible. Insurance plans work in one of two ways: Contract…

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What Is Self-Talk?
Blog October 4, 2012

What Is Self-Talk?

In counseling, we often talk about the things we say to ourselves or think about privately. This is called "self-talk." Sometimes it comes in the form of actual conversation or monologue with/to…

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How To Map Out Change
Blog August 8, 2012

How To Map Out Change

There are two basic things required for mapping change: something to run away from, and something to run towards. Running Away Usually people don't think of running away from something as a good…

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What Are You Worried About?
Blog May 24, 2012

What Are You Worried About?

Anxiety is an extremely common issue that most of us struggle with. In fact, it's one of the most diagnosed issues I treat and often exists alongside many other issues. However, anxiety is only a…

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Is Self-Care Selfish?
Blog March 22, 2012

Is Self-Care Selfish?

One of the most controversial issues I think people struggle with is that of self-care . Most people I talk with would describe it as being selfish or self-centered - only thinking about you and not…

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Overcoming Pain and Suffering, Part 2 of 2
Blog March 6, 2012

Overcoming Pain and Suffering, Part 2 of 2

In Part 1 of this series, I introduced the fact that pain and suffering are an inevitable and unavoidable part of life. I also discussed four unhealthy - yet very common - ways that people often…

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Overcoming Pain and Suffering, Part 1 of 2
Blog February 21, 2012

Overcoming Pain and Suffering, Part 1 of 2

Pain is an inevitable part of life. Throughout life, whether in childhood or in late adulthood, we may experience difficulties such as traumas, deaths, divorces, fractured or broken relationships,…

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Blog February 7, 2012

National Marriage Week 2012

From Prepare-Enrich ... For many people, a new year brings resolutions to improve different aspects of their lives. Striving to maintain better physical or financial health is a worthy goal, but what…

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Why Premarital Counseling?
Blog February 1, 2012

Why Premarital Counseling?

One of the most common questions I get from engaged couples is, " What are the benefits of premarital counseling? " Since it's often asked, I thought I would share a few of my thoughts here in hopes…

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Keeping New Year's Resolutions
Blog January 18, 2012

Keeping New Year's Resolutions

So we're just over two weeks into the new year and many people are probably struggling with their resolutions. It's very common, and we all do it. We make big plans and then a few days later ask…

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Healthy Boundaries: What Are They?
Blog December 28, 2011

Healthy Boundaries: What Are They?

In my practice, I talk a lot about boundaries. They're an important part of life and relationships, and are the foundation for healthy living. But what are they? This article will give you a good…

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Relationships
Blog September 15, 2010

Relationships

I provide counseling for couples - dating, premarital/engaged, and married. My hope is that by going through counseling, my clients will gain a better knowledge of themselves, understanding of their…

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Blog September 15, 2010

Improving Life

Life can be challenging in many aspects including individual/personal, career and work, emotions, and others. Dealing with issues that impair functioning can help clients become more successful,…

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Family Counseling
Blog September 15, 2010

Family Counseling

Families are meant to be safe and supportive environments for people to be loved and accepted for who they are, while at the same time helping each other grow to become their best selves. I work with…

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